Page 46 of Dr. Stone (Billionaires’ Club #9)

THIRTY-NINE

Andie

I woke from a deep sleep, the sunlight casting a soft glow over the messy sheets, which, by the way, felt more comfortable than any cotton I’d ever lain on. Did they make thousand-dollar sheets? Because these felt like thousand-dollar sheets.

I could’ve stayed there all day, recovering from a night that not only rivaled our first time together but absolutely blew it out of the water.

I wouldn’t have imagined that was even possible, but here I was, destroyed in the best way.

The heaviness in my arms and the lingering echo of how he touched me and claimed me all night long were worth every second of the aftermath.

I rolled over to find Jace was already up, and I felt more thankful than tired that we’d finally given in to everything we’d been craving for over a month. It was time to follow his lead and get my ass up, and head back to my place to get Brandon and me ready for reality—work and the babysitter.

Oh, shit…Brandon, I thought, remembering that I had actual responsibilities, and I couldn’t just lie in this heavenly bed all day, stretched out like a princess.

I sat up and was immediately met with the stunning view framed by the seamless wall of windows.

The ocean stretched out before me, its shimmering waves on full display.

From the way his house was positioned along Marina del Rey’s shoreline, I could easily see the familiar coast of Santa Monica where my condo was.

After I got dressed, I wandered through the massive sanctuary that made up the third level of Jace’s home.

The low-profile furniture and the way potted trees were placed next to weathered wood dressers all came together with effortless intention.

Even his bed, which looked big enough to fit ten people, added to the vibe. The whole space was zen as fuck.

I didn’t have time to take it all in last night, and I certainly didn’t have time to take it in right now since I felt like a shitty mom who’d forgotten about her kid, leaving her new boyfriend to take on that responsibility.

I walked out of the room and down to the steps just beyond the double doors of the grand master suite, jogged down the stairs—ignoring all the sore spots—and my heart leapt in my chest when I heard my son giggling outside with Jace.

“You see that, buddy?” Jace said, squatted down to meet Brandon’s height.

I covered my smile and my heart at the same time, seeing this most beautiful and welcomed image.

“Right there,” Jace said, laughing like a little boy himself. “See it?”

“Pane! Pane!” Brandon squealed, bouncing on his chubby legs.

“Look at it go.” Jace’s eyes crinkled with delight.

“Fy pane!” Brandon shouted as the little aircraft dragged its banner lazily across the morning sky.

“You already know how to say plane?” Jace teased, half in awe.

“Pane,” Brandon corrected, giggling so hard he almost tipped over.

“I see you two have formed a bond over aviation now, eh?” I said, walking out and joining the two guys who filled my heart with so much happiness.

“Oh, we’re best buds now, Mama,” Jace said.

“You found the way to each other’s hearts,” I smiled.

The way to each other’s hearts and mine , I thought.

Jace looked sexy as hell in his boardshorts and gray t-shirt.

My eyes went straight to my favorite thing about him in a tee—those biceps straining against the sleeves, his chest perfectly defined beneath the soft cotton.

Those damn muscles had kept me busy all night, and if I didn’t stop thinking about them, I’d probably call in sick just to demand we pick up where we left off.

“What time did you get up?” I asked, shifting gears. “I’m so sorry I slept through Brandon waking up. I didn’t hear a thing.”

Jace scooped Brandon up like he’d been doing it his whole life, kissed my cheek as he reached me, then gently transferred Brandon into my arms. Together, we headed inside to the chef’s kitchen, just left of the sliding doors that opened to the patio where I’d found him earlier.

“He’s already had breakfast. I made him oatmeal after he saw the box in my pantry and was wiggling and pointing at it. I figured he must’ve had it before, and I wasn’t wrong because he devoured it quicker than I devoured mine,” Jace chuckled. “Are you up for some oatmeal?”

“I’m just going to grab a power bar or something from the house,” I said, smacking his tight ass when he walked by. “You gave me the need for protein consumption this morning,” I teased. “I need to run, though. I’ve got to get us ready for the day.”

“Well, change into something light and breezy, baby,” Jace said with a knowing grin, “because I called your boss, and you got the day off because you’re such a good girl.” He winked, then tossed a grape from the bowl on the kitchen counter into his mouth.

“You, what?” I asked with a laugh.

“You have the day off. Ash is delighted with the plans I’ve made for the three of us today, and she said the sitter was happy to take my two-pound nemesis as well,” he chuckled.

“You even got Duke all set up?” I asked in disbelief.

“You’re going to pull me out of the real world and get my head so stuck in the clouds that I may never come back down to reality again.

” I sighed. “And what about you? Don’t you have to work?

Or did you call in sick or something, because if so, Jake will know you’re lying… ”

“I go on-call for a seventy-two-hour shift tonight at seven,” he said.

“This will be the last time I can spend with you for the next couple of days.” He stepped forward, kissed me again, and ruffled Brandon’s hair.

“I don’t want to miss a moment with you if I don’t have to, and Ash was thrilled with the idea. ”

“You, Dr. Stone, are blowing my mind.” I smiled and stepped forward to hug him with my free arm. I kissed his cheek and looked into his vibrant eyes, “Well? Now that’s all squared away, what unexpected treat do you have planned for us?”

“That’s for you to find out once Jake drops off the Range Rover,” he said, grabbing an apple, chomping into it, smiling, and brushing the tip of his finger over my nose.

“Jake is dropping off Ash’s car?” I cringed at how inconvenient and imposing we were becoming to our friends these days.

“Trust me, Jake makes my sorry, love-struck ass pay for putting him out,” he said, taking another big bite of his apple. “It gives him the perfect excuse to manipulate me into handing over whatever car he wants from my collection—again.”

I shook my head, “Oh, man. What are they going to do with us?”

“They’re just happy that we managed to get together like they all wanted.” He glanced down at his watch. “That’s the gate, Jake’s here. You can either leave your car here, or give me a minute to transfer toys, then I’ll give you a ride to your place, and we’ll head out from there.”

“I’ll go now. I need to give Brandon a quick bath and pack some snacks for this fun little day you’ve planned for us.”

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” he said, kissing my cheek before he turned to head toward his garage entry.

I was parked near the path that led down to his private marina access, so I’d have to thank Jake and Ash later for everything they’d been doing for Jace and me during these spontaneous adventures that Jace had planned.

Within the hour, Jace, Brandon, and I were loaded into Ash’s car.

Honestly, having friends who went so far out of their way for us felt surreal.

And then there was this man beside me—someone I hadn’t expected much from—now lowering every wall he had to make this work.

He wasn’t just interested in me; he was falling for Brandon, too.

Part of me was terrified. Because here I was, looking at an insanely attractive man who seemed to be falling too hard, too fast…

and everyone knows how that story usually ends.

I wanted to tell us both to slow down before this thing derailed completely.

But damn it, I was addicted to the rush of riding alongside him.

At least he was on call tonight. It would give us space to breathe, to process, to find a steadier pace.

I knew what people would say about how I was handling this—that I was uptight, too cautious.

But I had to protect my son and myself. Most single moms didn’t bring someone new around their child until things were much more serious than Jace and I were.

I couldn’t afford to lose myself in a fantasy.

Brandon needed a mother who stayed grounded, not one swept away in reckless love. Those days were behind me.

“Oh, my goodness,” I said with intrigue and delight as we pulled into the parking lot of our destination. “You brought us to the science museum? What made you think of this?”

“After seeing how excited Brandon was with that airplane this morning, I couldn’t resist making a couple of calls and bringing him here.” He smiled at me, “I think he’ll like the planetarium exhibit, too.” He glanced back at Brandon, sound asleep in his car seat, “If he wakes up, anyway.”

“He’ll wake right up,” I said, leaning over to kiss him. “You’re adorable, and thank you for thinking about him instead of just me.” I smiled, then turned to step out of the car before I was stopped by Jace’s strong hand.

My eyes met his. “I wouldn’t have this any other way with you,” he said. “The way I see it, you and Brandon are a package deal, and I need to work for the privilege of being with you both.”

I smiled. “I’m delighted you see it that way.”

Inside, I watched my son light up under the glowing planets, Jace at his side like it was second nature.

“Mo! Mo!” Brandon squealed, clapping when the stars danced across the dome.

“You want more stars, huh?” Jace grinned, hitting the button again.

“Stah,” Brandon babbled, hand reaching for the light.

We ended the day at the Santa Monica pier with hot dogs and sodas.

“Doggy!” Brandon pointed at a seagull creeping toward Jace’s fries.

“That’s not a dog, buddy.” Jace laughed. “But I get why you think so.”

“Doggy!” Brandon insisted, clapping sticky hands.

Jace tore off a piece of bun, handed it over, and Brandon lit up. “Mo!” he chirped, bouncing until Jace gave him another bite.

I didn’t want the day to end. Somehow Jace gave us every second, even with a brutal shift ahead.

As much as I wanted to fall asleep in his arms, what mattered more was the way he showed up—for me, for Brandon, for us.

Watching my son glow around him made my chest ache in the best way, and for the first time in a long time, I let myself believe this wasn’t just another fleeting moment.

It felt like the beginning of something real—something we could hold on to forever.